The Minnesota Vikings are about to begin the post-Kirk Cousins era. The New York Giants are about to find out how much longer the Daniel Jones era will last.
Uneasiness at quarterback is far from the only parallel between these two clubs in their matchup on Sunday, though.
Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants Game Preview
Both franchises were active this past offseason, reshaping rosters in an effort to support the quarterback position and build hope that a surprise season is in store.
Although they’ll be qualified only as early returns, the results from Week 1 will suggest whether either club was wise in their maneuverings.
In The Trenches
The Giants signed three starting offensive linemen in free agency: left guard Jon Runyan, right guard Greg Van Roten, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.
This trio joins a pair of returning starters in left tackle Andrew Thomas and center John Michael Schmitz to give the Giants a formidable front five up front on offense.
The Vikings added three new edge rushers to their defense this offseason. Danielle Hunter left in free agency, but Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel arrived at the same time. Additionally, the Vikings used the No. 17 overall pick in the draft on Dallas Turner, whom most pegged as the best or second-best pass rusher in the 2024 class.
On the other side of the matchup is the Giants debut of Brian Burns. New York acquired Burns, who has 46 career sacks and 20.5 over the last two years, via trade this offseason. Kayvon Thibodeaux lines up on the opposite side of Burns.
Burns and Thibodeaux are part of a monumental matchup as the Vikings boast as good a left tackle-right tackle tandem as there is in the league, with Christian Darrisaw on the left and Brian O’Neill on the right.
The X-factor in the trenches is the matchup between Vikings center Garrett Bradbury and Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
Bradbury’s forte is leverage and technique, while Lawrence, who stands an inch taller and is 40 pounds heavier than Bradbury, relies on sheer strength and tenacity to dominate on a weekly basis.
Out in Space — Skill Positions
Both Minnesota and New York feature former LSU standouts as their top pass-catching threats.
The Vikings have Justin Jefferson, who has more receiving yards in his first four seasons than anyone in NFL history, and the Giants used the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft on Malik Nabers, who is LSU’s all-time leader with 3,003 career receiving yards.
Both clubs also feature new running backs.
The Giants saw Saquon Barkley bolt via free agency for Philadelphia and replaced him with Devin Singletary. The Vikings coaxed Aaron Jones away from division rival Green Bay in the hopes he could revitalize a running game that was punchless in 2023, tallying only five rushes of 20+ yards and no rushes of 40+ yards a season ago.
Something’s Gotta Give
Neither Minnesota nor New York fared well in Will Blackmon’s debut edition of the Pro Football Network NFL Power Rankings, with the Vikings ranked 27th and the Giants 30th.
As much as fans love to see good things written and said about their teams, coaches and players in the locker room love to leverage a lack of expectation and confidence from others into over-performance and upsets.
So while both the Vikings and Giants are low in the power rankings right now, one of them will surely rise by this time next week on the heels of a season-opening win at MetLife Stadium.
5 Vikings-Giants Stats To Know
Stat: A league-high 73.7% of the Vikings’ offensive yards last season came through the air. The NFL average was 66%.
Analysis: Continuity along the offensive line — with all five starters being returning members of the team — and the addition of Jones should give head coach Kevin O’Connell, who calls plays, the nudge he needs to rely more on the running game. Plus, it would behoove O’Connell to refrain from asking Sam Darnold to throw as often in a game as he asked Cousins.
Stat: The Giants allowed a first down on a league-high 28.2% of rush attempts last season. The NFL average was 24%.
Analysis: Just more fuel to the fire as to why the Vikings should turn to their rushing attack more frequently in 2024 than they have in any season under O’Connell.
Stat: Daniel Jones converted 41.2% of his rushes for first downs and 66.7% of his third-down rushes for first downs against the Vikings in the 2022 Wild Card playoff game.
Analysis: While that stat is frustrating for the Vikings, it should be noted that Ed Donatell was the defensive coordinator in Minnesota at the time. You can be sure Brian Flores is aware of that component of Jones’ game and of the strain it caused the Vikings’ defense two years ago.
Stat: On 326 coverage snaps in nine season openers played, Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore has never allowed a touchdown and has 12 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Analysis: The Giants will be eager to utilize Nabers, their top pick this past spring, but they should pick their spots wisely because the Vikings added Gilmore late this summer to stabilize a position group that experienced talent and depth attrition.
Stat: In targeting Justin Jefferson 156 times on third downs in his career, the Vikings have attained a first down 55.8% of the time (79 receptions for a first down plus eight defensive pass interference penalties drawn).
Analysis: In the game’s most important moments, the Vikings will throw it to Jefferson, and that trend only figures to continue with Jordan Addison nursing an injured ankle and T.J. Hockenson inactive for Sunday.
Vikings vs. Giants Prediction
The Vikings may find an explosive play or two in the passing game, as they have Addison and Jefferson going against an inexperienced secondary. But given the talent level along the defensive line for both teams and expected spotty quarterback play, this game should yield a fairly low-scoring output.
New York has a slight edge in the running game both on defense and offense, plus Jones has demonstrated the ability to extend plays and drives with his legs. These two factors will prove pivotal in a tight game, and the Giants will win their first Week 1 home game since 2010.
Final Score Prediction: Giants 21, Vikings 20